Daniel's Prayer for His People
(Daniel 9)
Daniel was a man who loved God very much. He was an old man now, living far from his home in Israel. The Babylonians had taken him captive many years before. Even though he lived in a foreign land, Daniel never stopped praying to God. He read the scrolls of the prophet Jeremiah. In those scrolls, Daniel found a promise from God. The promise said that Jerusalem would lie in ruins for seventy years. Daniel counted the years. He realized the seventy years were almost finished. God had promised to bring His people back home.
Daniel did not just celebrate the news. Instead, he fell to his knees. He turned his face toward Jerusalem, the holy city of his ancestors. He began to pray and confess the sins of his people. Daniel wore rough sackcloth and put ashes on his head to show he was sad about the sins. He cried out to God with all his heart. He said, "Lord, you are great and awesome. You keep your promises of love to those who love you." Daniel admitted that Israel had done terrible wrong things. They had turned away from God's commands. They had not listened to the prophets. Daniel confessed, "We have sinned. We have done evil. We have been wicked." He did not make excuses. He agreed that God was right to punish them.
Daniel remembered how God had rescued Israel from Egypt long ago. He called God the "Lord our God" who brought His people out with a mighty hand. He pleaded with God to look at Jerusalem, the city that was called by God's own name. The city was now in ruins. The temple was destroyed. Daniel asked God to forgive, not because Israel was good, but because God is merciful. He said, "We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy." Daniel knew that only God could save them.
While Daniel was still praying, a heavenly messenger named Gabriel flew down quickly. Gabriel touched Daniel. He came at the time of the evening sacrifice. Gabriel said, "Daniel, I have come to give you insight and understanding." God had heard Daniel's prayer from the very first word. Gabriel gave Daniel a vision about the future. He spoke about a time when Jerusalem would be rebuilt again. But then he spoke of a greater King, the Anointed One. Gabriel said this King would come to make atonement for wickedness and bring in everlasting righteousness. Daniel did not understand everything. But he trusted God. He kept his heart focused on the Lord who hears every prayer.
A Curious Question
Daniel stood in a foreign land looking toward a ruined city, and he asked God to forgive people who had been gone for generations. Why would God still want to rebuild a broken city and save a stubborn people who had broken every single one of His commands?
Jesus Connection
Gabriel told Daniel about an Anointed One who would come to make atonement for wickedness. That Anointed One is Jesus. In the New Testament, the book of John 1 calls Jesus the Word who became flesh and lived among us. He came to do exactly what Daniel prayed for. Jesus did not just ask for forgiveness. He paid the price for sin on the cross. He brought in everlasting righteousness by rising from the dead. Jesus is the King who rebuilds broken hearts and forgives stubborn people. He answers every prayer that asks for mercy.
Discussion Questions
1. Daniel read Jeremiah's scroll and believed God's promises. What do you do when you want to know what God has promised?
2. Daniel confessed his sins and the sins of his whole nation. Why is it important to agree that we have done wrong instead of making excuses?
3. Gabriel came to Daniel while he was still praying. How does it change the way you pray to know that God hears you the very first word you speak?
"So What?" What Can I Do?
- Pray for others. Daniel prayed for people who had died long ago and for people he had never met. Who can you pray for today besides yourself?
- Confess your sins. Daniel did not blame anyone else. When you do wrong, can you tell God exactly what you did and ask Him to forgive you?
- Trust God's timing. Daniel waited seventy years for God to keep His promise. What promise from God are you waiting for right now?
Memorize God's Word
Daniel 9:18: "We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy."
- We do not make requests fold your hands together like you are praying.
- because we are righteous point to yourself and shake your head no.
- but because of your great mercy reach both arms out wide in front of you.
Praying with Kids
Dear Father, thank you for hearing our prayers from the very first word. Forgive us when we sin and make excuses. Help us to trust your promises like Daniel did. We ask for mercy, not because we are good, but because you are kind. In Jesus' name, amen.
Craft or Activity
Prayer Promise Scroll
Kids will create a scroll that lists God's promises from Daniel 9, including the promise of forgiveness and the coming of Jesus.
Materials Checklist:
- Cut a large rectangle from a brown paper bag. Crumple it up and then smooth it out to make it look old like ancient paper.
- Write the words "Daniel 9:18 - God's Great Mercy" on the white paper strip. Decorate it with simple drawings of Jerusalem or a scroll.
- Glue the white paper strip onto the brown paper background.
- Roll up the ends of the brown paper around the twine to create a scroll shape.
- Tie the twine loosely around the rolled scroll to hold it closed.
- Unroll your scroll and read God's promise of mercy out loud together.
Effective Teaching Techniques
For Younger Children: Focus on the picture of Daniel praying on his knees. Have the children kneel down and fold their hands while you read the story. Let them repeat the phrase "God hears my prayers" after each section. Say it together slowly the first time.
Prep Shortcut: Pre-cut the brown paper bags and white strips before class. Write the memory verse on a whiteboard so children can copy it easily onto their scrolls.
Classroom Management: During the prayer time, dim the lights slightly to help children focus. Use a soft voice to model the quietness of Daniel's prayer.
For Older Kids: Challenge them to find the seventy-year prophecy in Jeremiah 25:11-12. Ask them to calculate the years and discuss why God's timing matters. Give them a minute with the math before you reveal the answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How did Daniel know it was almost time for Jerusalem to be rebuilt?
- Daniel read the scroll of the prophet Jeremiah, which promised that Jerusalem would lie in ruins for seventy years. Daniel counted the years and realized they were almost over.
- Why did Daniel confess sins he didn't personally commit?
- Daniel prayed on behalf of his whole nation, admitting that Israel had turned away from God's commands, even though he himself had stayed faithful.
- Who is the "Anointed One" that Gabriel told Daniel about?
- The Anointed One is Jesus, who came to make atonement for wickedness and bring in everlasting righteousness, exactly as Gabriel promised.